Group Supplier Assurance Lead

Are you passionate about food safety, supplier quality and sustainable sourcing? Do you thrive on influencing standards, driving continuous improvement and working across complex supply chains?

The experience expected from applicants, as well as additional skills and qualifications needed for this job are listed below.

We are partnering with a progressive and growing food manufacturing group seeking a Group Supplier Assurance Lead to play a pivotal role in developing and enhancing supplier performance, compliance and sustainability standards across multiple UK sites. This is an excellent opportunity for an experienced technical professional looking to make a tangible impact at group level while helping shape a responsible and resilient supply chain.

Role Overview

As Group Supplier Assurance Lead, you will take ownership of the supplier assurance programme across the business, ensuring suppliers meet the highest standards of food safety, quality, ethical compliance and sustainability. Working closely with Technical, Procurement and Sustainability teams, you will assess risk, analyse supplier performance data and drive continuous improvement initiatives that support both commercial objectives and long-term sustainability commitments. The role offers exposure across multiple manufacturing locations and a genuine opportunity to influence best practice throughout the organisation.

Key Accountabilities

• Lead and continuously develop the group-wide supplier assurance management system.
• Assess and manage supplier risk relating to food safety, sustainability and ethical compliance.
• Review and analyse supplier audits, policies, HACCP, VACCP, TACCP, allergen management and traceability systems.
• Maintain and manage approved supplier databases and supplier contact information.
• Develop and implement supplier improvement plans to raise standards and performance.
• Support sustainability reporting requirements and wider corporate obligations.
• Collaborate with Procurement colleagues on the onboarding and approval of new suppliers.
• Conduct targeted internal audits to support site compliance and customer expectations.
• Produce clear, insightful reports for senior stakeholders to support decision-making and risk management.

People Profile

To be successful in this position, you will ideally possess:

• A degree in Food Science, Food Technology or a related discipline.
• Previous technical experience within an FMCG food manufacturing environment, including exposure to supplier assurance activities.
• Strong knowledge of HACCP, VACCP, TACCP and BRC standards.
• Understanding of ethical sourcing and sustainability frameworks such as SEDEX, modern slavery compliance and deforestation initiatives.
• Excellent communication and stakeholder management skills, with the confidence to influence both internal and external contacts.
• Strong organisational, analytical and problem-solving capabilities.
• A genuine passion for sustainability, ethical sourcing and continuous improvement.
• A full UK driving licence and willingness to travel occasionally between UK sites.

This opportunity offers the chance to join a business where you can genuinely influence food safety, supplier quality and sustainability strategy, while working within a collaborative environment focused on long-term growth and excellence.

We regret we can not offer visa sponsorship and can only consider candidates who hold right to work in the UK.

To apply, please e-mail in strict confidence, with a comprehensive CV, including salary details, quoting the above reference and for the attention of James Constable.

Due to a high volume of responses, we cannot reply to each application individually. xwzovoh If you have not had a response within one week, we are sorry to say your application has not been successful on this occasion.